


Cuddle Buddy

by Symphoenae



Series: Gift Fic Universe [3]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, callum is the best boy, inspired by that one drawing from jade, mentions of zym and bait, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23598085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Symphoenae/pseuds/Symphoenae
Summary: From the first day Rayla met Callum, there was a quirk of his that she noticed right away. Back in the traveling days, where she would stay up and keep watch over him, Ezran, and Zym while he was still in his egg, sometimes her eyes would drift to the sleeping humans she'd learn to so fiercely protect. After a few nights or so, she realized that Callum would start off going to sleep as normal, but at some point in his unconscious state, his hands would reach out and grab something to pull close to him.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Gift Fic Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697743
Comments: 11
Kudos: 126





	Cuddle Buddy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sugarssaur1004](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugarssaur1004/gifts).



> okay see this was the fic idea I have originally wanted to gift to Jade before I got kidnapped by Danimal Cannon in the last one. It was inspired by that one art where the Zym Gang is sleebing in a hammock that she posted. And maybe also my dumbass projecting the fact I am 18 years old and still sleep with a stuffed animal.... dsfdgfhg
> 
> I'm writing this instead of doing my lab cause fuck my lab bro

From the first day Rayla met Callum, there was a quirk of his that she noticed right away. Back in the traveling days, where she would stay up and keep watch over him, Ezran, and Zym while he was still in his egg, sometimes her eyes would drift to the sleeping humans she'd learn to so fiercely protect. After a few nights or so, she realized that Callum would start off going to sleep as normal, but at some point in his unconscious state, his hands would reach out and grab something to pull close to him. In the beginning, it was usually his brother Ezran, or his beloved scarf that ended up de-tangling from around his neck in the night. And yet, in the morning that came after, there would be no mention of the action at all. It didn't even seem like Callum knew what he was doing when he was asleep, and Ezran just never brought it up.

And even still, when Ezran had to leave back to Katolis for awhile and it had been just her, Callum, and Zym, this quirk of his didn't go away. The cuddle buddy that Ezran had provided before had been replaced with the baby dragon instead. Rayla would never admit it, but with each passing night on their journey, she found her mind wandering to the idea of _what if that was her instead of Zym?_ And for a little while, she had to scold herself with heated cheeks when she realized that the prospect didn't sound so bad to her. Of course, that flustered scolding stopped a few nights later after the whole Midnight Desert debacle. After that, it became more of a wish of hers that his unconscious arms would seek her out in the night, but she still had guard duty, and when it was the rare night that she decided to sleep along with him, his hands would still end up grabbing Zym. The baby dragon didn't seem to mind, in the end.

Rayla was not jealous of a baby dragon, not at all.

Of course, they would find themselves cuddled together nowadays while they lived back in Katolis for the time being. In the safety of Callum's room that had a door lock, they felt comfortable enough to show the fact that they literally could not keep their hands off of each other. But Rayla would find herself thinking back to his unconscious quirk back in the traveling days, realizing she'd never asked him why he did that, and therefore she'd never gotten an answer as to why it happens. It was a trivial thing, but she really did want to know for some reason.

Luckily for her, today was the day she found out.

Rayla had been out in the courtyard for her daily training session while Callum had a rare meeting with Ezran and a couple other human officials to discuss the peace treaty with Xadia. She didn't know the full details of what they were there to discuss, but anyone could tell that it was boring. She was winding down when she spotted Ezran making his way over to her.

"Hey!" She called to him, out of breath.

"Hey Rayla!" Ezran replied cheerfully, a mischievous glint in his eye. Rayla picked up on it immediately.

"What did you do now, young king?" Rayla prodded playfully, a smirk pulling at the edges of her lips.

"Noooothing." He said with a grin. "Nothing besides dig up Callum's old stuffed animal. The meeting we had ended around half an hour ago, and I noticed that he was looking extremely tired. I go to check on him twenty minutes later, and he's passed out in his room. His arms were doing the twitchy thing again- probably because you weren't there to cuddle with." Ezran's grin widened at Rayla's slight flush at his words. "And then I remembered his guilty little secret! He used to sleep with that stuffed animal wolf of his every night until we left. So I went and found it in one of his drawers and gave it to him. His twitchy arms accepted it immediately."

Rayla blinked. "Is that why he'd always end up grabbing you or Zym in his sleep when we were traveling to Xadia?"

"Yup. I had a feeling you'd have noticed that quirk at some point. Honestly, I didn't mind. I get the appeal of having someone or something to cuddle all the time, since I have Bait. But growing up, he didn't have a pet glow toad, he only had that stuffed animal. I think it's long since become and unconscious habit. Isn't it adorable?" Ezran teased.

Rayla rolled her eyes, but she didn't deny it. "So what you're saying is that right now, at this very moment, my boyfriend is curled up in bed around a stuffed animal as if his life depended on him cuddling something?"

"Maaaaybe."

"Y'know, I was about done with my training..." Rayla drawled with an equally playful grin.

"Pff. As if you were going to pass up this opportunity anyways. Go see him."

* * *

Rayla could've melted right there on the spot when she entered Callum's room and saw the sight before her. Ezran had been 100% correct in his observation. There lay Callum, in his unfairly comfortable bed, under the poofy covers, but still very obviously curled up around an object. Random passersby wouldn't know what the object is, but Rayla knew better. She had never wished that she had Callum's talent for drawing more in this moment. He was so _cute._

Rayla made sure to quietly lock the door behind her when she stepped further into the room, tiptoeing her way over to the bed in the far end of the room. She watched with softness in her eyes as Callum shifted slightly when she ran one of her hands across his forehead tenderly. She was perfectly content to just give the sleeping boy tender touches, but with a soft gasp she was suddenly pulled onto the bed with him. There was a soft chuckle from Callum as he cracked an eye open.

"Hello beautiful." He mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

"I thought you were sleeping." Rayla mumbled back, burying her head in his shoulder to hide her flushed cheeks.

"I was, now I'm not. Though I'd very much like to go back to sleep, but maybe cuddling with a certain moonshadow elf I know..." He replied with a tired smile.

Rayla shimmied herself under the covers with her dorky human. "Got tired of using your little stuffed animal already, did you?"

"Eh... I still have a dumb attachment to it, but it's not as good as a warm body anymore. Priorities."

Rayla snorted. "Of all the cuddle buddies you have, I'm the one you prioritize? Even with my pointy horns?"

"You genuinely sound surprised and now I'm going to have to prove it until you accept it. Starting now."

Rayla laughed, snuggling ever closer to him. "I don't mind that one bit."

**Author's Note:**

> >Wolf plushie because that's from my experience. I have this good boyo wolf stuffed animal that's actually a puppet and his name is Wolfie. I KNOW THATS A CHILDISH NAME BUT LISTEN. I've had him since fucking. Kindergarten okay. I was like 7 when I named him that. He's so old now and he's getting frail and someday he might break beyond repair and I'm dreading that
> 
> Anyways Callum is a precious boy send tweet
> 
> Come say hi to me on Tumblr! Ask me stuff about my fics!  
> TUMBLR: https://symphoenae.tumblr.com/


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